To obtain a title for a vehicle that you do not wish to register or operate in the District,
visit a DMV service
location and provide the following:
It is not necessary for a vehicle to pass inspection or have insurance to a receive a title only (without a registration).
Additional Vehicle Title Information
- Altered titles are not accepted. If the title is altered, you
must obtain a replacement.
- If your vehicle is leased, present the lease agreement with
the signature of the leasing company and lessee.
- If your vehicle has a lien, present the lien agreement with
the signature of the financial institution and borrower.
- Additional
documents are necessary to obtain a title for a vehicle if
you acquired it through the death of the vehicle owner.
- Although a title can have multiple owners, the primary owner
must be a District resident or a DC based business. If you have
a co-signer; and the co-signer is not a DC resident, you must
present the following original documents:
- Notarized letter from the co-signer stating that he/she
is on the vehicle title for financial reasons
- A copy of the co-signer's valid identification
Note: Obtaining a title is not an over-the-counter
transaction. The title will be mailed to the primary owner at the
current address on file at the DMV within 15 business days. If the
vehicle has a lien holder, the title will be mailed to the primary
lien holder.
